Excavating-machine.



M. O. HANSON.

EXGAVATING MACHINE. I APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 30, 1912. 1,031,788. Patented July 9, 1912.

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EXGAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1912.

1,031,788.. Patented July 9, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON D c roe.

MARTIN C. HANSON, OF IBRAGER, MINNESOTA.

EXCAVATING-MAGI-IINE.

To all whom 2'2, may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN C. HANsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brager, in the county of Becker and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavating-Machines, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompany. ing drawings.

This invention relates to excavating machines, and comprehends certain new and useful improvements in machines particularly adapted for forming ditches.

The invention has for its primary object a simple, durable and eflicient construction of machine of this character which will be peculiarly applicable for use in swampy or similar ground, where it would be impos sible to work the ditching machines with horses or dig the ditch by hand.

The invention also has for its object an improved ditching machine which will require only a few operators to handle it and which may be worked over a relatively large extent of ground, before completing a prac, tically continuous operation. And the invention also aims to generally improve de vices of this class and to render them more useful and commercially desirable.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts as I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following clescription and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved excavating or ditching machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view, the section being taken approximately on the line H of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a scraper which may be employed and which will be hereinafter more specifically referred to.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the accompanying drawings by like reference characters.

The supporting framework of my im- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 30, 1912.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Serial No. 674,335.

proved ditching machine embodies longitudinally extending runners 1 that are laterally spaced from each other and connected at their forward ends by a cross bar 2 to which a clevis ring 3 is fastened. The clevis ring 8 is designed for engagement by a hook 4C or similar detachable fastening device, said hook being secured to one end of a cable 5 which is designed to pass around a pulley 6 carried by a shackle or hook 7 adapted to slip over a post 8. The post 8 is, in practice, driven into the ground a predetermined distance in advance of the machine and is preferably braced as by a guy wire 9 and anchoring post 10.

The runners 1 are connected together intermediate of their ends by cross bars 11 which together form a platform to which the laterally spaced operatively projecting standards 12 are secured, the standards being also secured directly to the runners 1 by forwardly and downwardly inclined braces 18 and by corresponding rearwardly and downwardly inclined braces 14:. The standards may be also braced by diagonally disposed bars 15, as clearly illustrated in the drawing. If desired, the upper ends of the braces may be connected together by a transversely extending beam 16.

The vertically disposed framework which is thus disposed on the main framework or sled runners 1 is designed to support a vertically disposed mast 17 which is mounted for a revoluble movement about its longitudinal axis, said mast being provided at its upper end with a substantially horizontally disposed boom 18 which is connected intermediate of its ends to an intermediate portion of the mast 17 by an obliquely disposed brace rod or strut 19.

The mast 17 is provided with bearing boxes 20 which are arranged in laterally spaced relation to each other, being secured to opposite sides of the mast, as shown, and in said bearing boxes, a horizontally disposed windlass shaft :21 is journaled intermediate of its ends, said shaft being provided at either or both ends with means whereby it may be manually rotated about a horizontal axis. A cable 22 is mounted to wind upon the Windlass shaft 21, preferably in between the bearing boxes 20, and said cable passes over a sheave 23 which is pro vided with a hook 24 by which it is adapted to be suspended from the relatively free end of the boom 18. The cable 22 also passes over a sheave'25 which is provided with a hook 26 designed for detachable engagement with a chain 27 or the like which connects together the handle ends of tongs 28, the members of the tongs being respectively provided with tines or teeth 29 designed to penetrate the swampy soil or bog, whereupon an upward pull upon a cable 22 wlll cause the jaws or tongs to excavate the-soll and sod.

Blade holders 30 are arranged longitudinally in the space between the beams 11 and the front cross bar 2, said blade supporting bars 30 being preferably arranged in downwardly converging relation to each other and being recessed at their ends and supported at their recessed ends on the beams 11 and bar 2, respectively. If desired, the blade supporting bars 30 may be adjustably connected to their supports so that they may be shifted laterally toward or away from each other, as required. Each of these supporting bars 30 carries a slicing blade designated 31. Each blade extends both below and above the bar 30 which supports it and is pivotally connected to the bar intermediate of the ends of the blade as at 32, whereby the blades may be adjusted as required. Each blade is provided with a manually releasable detent designed for engagement with a quadrant 33 secured to and projecting upwardly from the bar 30 whereby the blade may be held in different inclined po sitions. The two blades 31, as is manifest, make longitudinal slicing cuts in the sod and earth as the machine is drawn forwardly on its runners 1.

In order to slice the sod and soil transversely, my improved machine includes a laterally extending and preferably substantially V-shaped knife 34 which is arranged for an oblique slicing cut by having one end pivotally connected to a rod 35 secured to the lower end of one of the braces 14, the other brace 14 serving as a guide to the knife in its downward and rearward movement. In order to hold the knife 34 in its raised inoperative position I provide the last named brace 14 with an upwardly facing hook 36 with which the handle end 37 of the knife may be easily engaged.

From as much of the description as has preceded, in connection wit-h the correlated views of the accompanying drawings, the operation of this embodiment of my invention will be apparent. In the practical use of the apparatus, the post 8 is driven into the ground Where it is desired to form the ditch, a predetermined distance in advance of the runners 1, and the traction cable 5 is passed around the pulley 6, one end of the cable being hooked to the ring 3 and the other end of the cable being passed rearwardly and wound around the lower end of the mast 17. The pulley or sheave 23 1s suspended by its hook 24 from the relatively free end of the boom 18 and the tongs or grapple 28 is in readiness for operation. The blades 31 are adjusted to the desired inclination and the blade supporting bars 30 are supported laterally according to the width of the ditch that it is desired to cut. In order to draw the machine forwardly so as to form two parallel slices in the sod and subsoil, the operator turns the mast 17 in a direction to wind up on the cable 5. At intervals, the grapple or tongs 28 is driven into the ground with its jaws in open position, and the blade 34 is operated to form a lateral cut intersecting the longitudinal cuts that are produced by the blades 31. Upon turning the Windlass shaft 21 an upward pull will be produced on the grapple 28 and the earth will be raised and may be easily deposited on one side of the ditch by swinging the mast 17 around, which operation, as is evident, will at the same time draw the entire machine forwardly in readiness for a subsequent operation.

Fig. 5 illustrates a scoop which is well adapted to soil that is of such loose character that the tongs or grapple 28 cannot properly operate to pick it up as desired, the said scoop being designed to run in the bottom of the ditch and fastened to the boom 18 by pulley blocks like those before described in connection with the grapple, so that when the machine is moved ahead the scoop is pulled into the sod and is hoisted in the same way as the grapple or tongs. As shown, this scoop includes a longitudinally disposed runner blade 38 provided with a handle 39 at its rear end, braced standards 40, a clevis 41 for the hook 26 and a forward clevis 42 for a draft cable 43 which is designed to be secured to the main machine, as for instance by a clevis 44 which may be connected to one of the transversely extending beams 11 as by a bolt 45.

WVhile the accompanying drawings disclose what I believe to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but that various changes may be made in the construction, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an excavating machine of the char acter described, the combination of a movable support, means for drawing the support over the ground, a slicing blade carried by the support, an excavating element carried by the support, and means for raising the excavating element and for swinging it to one side, the last named means being arranged to effect the forward movement of the support.

2. An excavating machine of the character described, including a movable support, a mast carried thereby, a slicing blade carried by the support a boom carried by the mast, an excavating element suspended from the boom, the mast being mounted for turning movement on the support, means for raising the excavating element on the boom, and means operable by the turning movement of the mast for drawing the support forwardly.

3. An excavating machine of the character described, including a movable support, a mast mounted to turn on the sup port, a slicing blade carried by the support, a boom carried by the mast, an excavating element carried by the boom, means carried by the boom and mast for raising the excavating element, and means operable upon the turning movement of the mastfor advancing the support.

4:. An excavating machine of the character described, including a movable support, longitudinal slicing blades carried by the support, an excavating element carried by the support, means for raising the excavating element and for turning it to one side and means operable by the turning movement of the excavating element raising means for advancing the support over the ground.

5. In an excavating machine of the class described, the combination with a support. and an excavating element carried thereby, of oblique braces forming part of the support, and a lateral slicing blade pivotally connected to one of said braces and adapted to be held by the other brace in an elevated position.

6. An excavating machine of the class described, including a support, an excavating element carried thereby, oblique braces forming part of the support, a lateral slicing blade pivot-ally connected to the lower end of one brace, and a hook carried by the other brace at the upper end of the latter, the slicing blade being provided with a handle adapted to be engaged by said hook, whereby to hold the slicing blade in a raised inoperative position.

7. An excavating machine of the character described, including a support, a slicing blade carried by the support, a vertically disposed mast mounted to turn about its longitudinal axis in the support and provided with bearings, a horizontally disposed windlass shaft journaled in said bearings, a horizontal boom carried by the mast, an excavating element, block and tackle mechanism carried by the boom and con nected to the excavating element and operatively connected to the Windlass shaft, and a draft cable winding on said mast.

8. An excavating machine, including a supporting frame-work, an excavating element carried thereby, longitudinally disposed laterally spaced blade supporting bars mounted in and supported by the frame-Work, longitudinal slicing blades pivotally connected intermediate of their ends to the respective bars and extending below and above said bars, each of said blades being provided with a manually releasable detent, and quadrants secured to and projecting upwardly from the respective bars for engagement by said detent, whereby the blades may be held in different inclined positions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN G. HANSON.

WVitnesses J. A. M. GRAINES, HERMAN NELSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents. Washington, D. G. 

